Veterans' Advocate: Clay Hunt Act Lets Vets Know There's Help

The message of the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act is that there's help for veterans at risk of suicide, Paul Rieckhoff, founder and CEO of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), told MSNBC's "Morning Joe."

President Barack Obama signed the bill into law on Thursday that will open the Pentagon and Department of Veterans Affairs to increased scrutiny over their suicide prevention programs. It was named after former Marine Clay Hunt, an Iraq veteran who committed suicide in 2011.

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"We're committed to not losing others. There are folks out there watching right now. We want them to get help. That's the message of this bill. Even more than legislation, know that there's help out there, and there's hope," Rieckhoff said Friday.

The legislation also provides veterans with more readily accessible information on suicide prevention, and gives financial educational incentives for mental health professionals who agree to work for the VA.

Rieckhoff said Hunt was a "motivator for all of us," because he had been "involved with IAVA" and other veterans groups as he sought treatment for depression and post-traumatic stress.

"He was like a rally cry for us. But we lost him at 28 years old. And we're losing friends every single day. That's our message here is that we lost Clay, and we mourn his loss. But, we also celebrate his life, and we're committed to not losing others," Rieckhoff said.

The message of the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act is that there's help for veterans at risk of suicide, Paul Rieckhoff, founder and CEO of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), told MSNBC's "Morning Joe."